Archive for the ‘National Letter of Intent’ Category

Two of Rye’s premier soccer players recently signed National Letters of Intent, committing to play their sport at the collegiate level. Rye Country Day School senior Taylor Washington will attend Boston University, a perennial top 15 Division I college soccer program. The two-time FAA All-League player helped lead the RCDS soccer team to consecutive FAA championships in 2009 and 2010.

Taylor Washington and his parents, Marc and Jane Washington, at the signing

Washington has also been selected as a second team defender on the ESPNRISE Fall All-America Soccer Team. This is an outstanding accomplishment in light of the fact that of the 36 players selected, one has signed professionally, and 33 have signed with NCAA Division 1 soccer teams. Washington was one of three New York State players honored by ESPN.

Rye soccer star Lia Bellizzi also signed her National Letter, and will attend and play for the University of Virginia. RHS held an unofficial “signing session” February 7 for the senior and her parents, coaches, and other mentors.

Stephanie Binder, a senior at Rye Country Day School, recently committed to play basketball for Johns Hopkins University in the fall. The Blue Jays are currently ranked 25th in the nation in the NCAA Division III polls.

Stephanie and Carolyn Binder

Binder, a 5-foot-8 shooting guard, has emerged as one of the premier sharpshooters in the Northeast, according to Coaches Choice USA, a national scouting service. Over the summer, the senior played a key role in propelling her AAU team, Exodus Westchester, to an 8th place finish at the AAU National U16 Championships.

Along with her teammates, Binder hopes to lead the Wildcats to a third consecutive NYSAIS State championship this season.

With a stroke of a pen, Rye Neck senior Ryan Pennell made his dream official November 16, surrounded by friends, family, teachers, and coaches in the high school library. The star baseball player signed his national letter of intent to attend Elon University in the fall of 2010.

“It’s such a great feeling, especially with everyone here,” said Pennell, who will receive a scholarship to the Division 1 school in North Carolina. “But it’s hard to describe exactly. The past four years have been some of the greatest of my life. I’ve had a lot of fun and so much support, and I still have one more year to finish.”

Ryan Pennell with his family after signing

The Elon Phoenix – two-time regular season South Conference champions – are getting a player who was consistently dominant as a junior. The southpaw tossed five no-hitters en route to finishing 9-0 with a 0.44 ERA. He struck out a Section 1-best 136 batters, and allowed just 10 hits all year. In nine of his 10 starts Pennell fanned at least 11 batters. He was at his best May 13 against Blind Brook, striking out 21 of the 23 batters he faced in a no-hitter. No slouch with the bat either, Pennell hit at gaudy .456 clip.

The Panthers’ head coach, Tyler Slater, said at the press conference that Pennell’s greatest attributes don’t appear in box scores. “When this process started, the colleges were inquiring about Ryan’s character more than his ability,” said Slater. “All coaches feel they can make a player better, but character is something you can’t change. I felt awkward when speaking to them, because I couldn’t think of a negative thing to say about him.”